Friday, October 15, 2010

Blog Action Day 2010: Water

Ross Barnett Reservoir (MS)

By Ashley Rennie Photography

Water - such a simple word for something that most of us take for granted. All living things, including our own bodies, which are mostly water in the first place, need water to live. Yet so many people throughout our world do not have enough clean water to drink. It is difficult for me to imagine not being able to turn on a faucet and have clean water immediately available - for drinking, cooking, bathing, or any other purpose I might want. But millions of people throughout the world must rely on water, for all their needs, coming from a something other than a faucet, and often from sources that are unsanitary and sometimes contaminated.

As individuals, what can each of us do to help?

First, water is not an unlimited resource, and we should learn to conserve it. Become aware of conservation methods that apply to daily living. A few examples of these methods include taking shorter showers, turning off the water while brushing your teeth, and doing laundry only when the washer is full. Other methods to help conserve water outside our households include the planting of drought friendly landscaping plants and less frequent watering of our lawns. Saving water in small ways does add up if each of us incorporates some simple conservation techniques into our daily lives.

Secondly, clean water is becoming harder and harder to find. Many of this nation's streams and waterways have become contaminated by industrial processes that did not exist in years past and have affected not only the fish that live in the water, but the natural habitat and wildlife that depend on clean water to survive. Becoming involved in our communities and having active voices about what happens to our natural resources is more important than ever before.

Third, become an advocate for water conservation, and volunteer to help others globally who struggle to have clean water to drink. Become involved in community efforts to maintain clean, safe water.

On this Blog Action Day, I hope you will take a closer look at how important water is to all of us. And I encourage you to consider making water conservation a part of your daily life.